


Skylines and Sunsets

by ddugeun



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 15:27:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2155614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddugeun/pseuds/ddugeun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin first sees him basked in hues of red, orange and yellow in the late evening of a Saturday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skylines and Sunsets

**Author's Note:**

> hi! q_q  
> um, this is my first free! fan fic, and also the first thing i've written after a harsh three month writers block.
> 
> i'm sorry if it seems very ooc, i still haven't quite gotten how to write these two yet (new characters to work with, and all~) and i apologise for any mistakes or general lack of sense orz;; (i stupidly decided to write this at 3am, who knows why)
> 
> but any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated! enjoy n_n ♡

**1.**

The monotonous droning of the train wheels pierce the still air within the carriages. Every now and again, quiet laughter and mindless chatter would over power the constant noise, pushing it into the background. Either way, Rin isn’t listening. The sounds aren’t reaching his ears, the only noise being his heart beat thumping through his body.

 

_Next stop, Iwatobi._

Rin first sees him basked in hues of red, orange and yellow in the late evening of a Saturday. He’s coming back to Iwatobi to visit his mother and his little sister, having spent a full term away at his boarding school.

The shadows of the scenery outside the train windows cast harsh dark lines over their faces, and the steady rocking of the train keeps them in sync.

 

The guy’s lips are turned down slightly, almost forming a barely there frown. Rin tries not to stare, he really does, but the way the guy’s eyes shine a bright blue that would put even the clearest of skies to shame catches his attention. It’s hard to focus, and he almost doesn’t notice that the train has stopped, and finally, he’s home.

 

For the first time, the guy looks up from looking down at his feet, and his blue eyes meet Rin’s red ones. Rin feels a crashing sort of feeling, his heart dropping to the floor, but then the guy tilts his head to the side and leaves the train.

 

Rin sits there, heartbeat slowing to a more normal pace, and all he can think as he exits the train is _he’s so beautiful_.

 

**2.**

Rin sees him again a week later, as he’s back on the train and ready to attend school again. The break had been short, but it felt long in the harsh summer heat and lack of things to do. He’d spent most of his time indoors, playing on his game console and watching mindless daytime TV.

 

He could feel his pulse pick up at the thought of going back to school, where there was a swimming pool he could use and he could finally feel like he has something to do. Despite trying to keep his mind occupied, his thoughts always drifted slowly back to the bright blue eyed boy he’d seen on the train. Of course, he didn’t keep his hopes up in seeing him again. It might be the only time they’d ever see each other; but yet, Rin couldn’t help but feel a little empty at that thought.

 

But there, seven days later, the guy was sat right in front of him.

This time, the blue eyed boy was looking right at him.

 

Rin blinked owlishly, quickly glancing around the otherwise empty train carriage just to be sure the boy was looking at him and not someone else.

 

His skin prickled in anticipation and excitement.

 

The boy tilted his head again slowly, lips turning down into a definite frown. Rin isn’t sure if this is a bad sign, he’s always been a little slow on social queues, but he finds the words spilling out his mouth before he can stop.

 

“Hey. I saw you before, on the train. A week ago. I’m Matsuoka Rin.” he doesn’t even stop for a breath, carrying on with his rambling, “I have a girly name but I’m a guy. And, um, you have really pretty eyes. Uh, I mean that in a non-creepy way. But you’re really pretty too. I- I’m sorry, I’ll just stop talking now.”

 

Rin’s eyes automatically find their way to his feet, trying not to look at how the guy reacted to his really embarrassing speech. He can feel his face flush, spreading down his face and onto his neck and it makes him hot all over and _wow_ , he’s definitely blown it now. He bites his lip, willing to keep the hot tears in his eyes from forming because crying over this would really top it all off.

 

There’s a pause, and he hears the guy clear his throat.

 

“Nanase Haruka.”

 

Rin looks up, just in time to catch the boy with a soft smile on his face before it immediately disappears.

 

It’s another Saturday evening. The sky is still a blurred mixture of warm colours, and the shadows still cast their heavy weights onto their faces. Even though the train never stopped making that continuous droning noise, neither of them hear it.

 

This time, Rin just grins.

 

“Well, Nanase. Looks like we’ve got something in common.”

 

**3.**

Rin doesn’t stop thinking about Haruka. Not even when he’s submerged in the water, being consumed by the resilience of it. Not even when he powers through, breaking and entering his hands through the surface - always pushing himself. Harder, harder.

 

He blinks behind his goggles, Haruka’s blue eyes appear in his head and suddenly he thinks that he could easily drown in their depths instead of the pool. A split second too long of gazing into them, and they’d have him hook, line and sinker.

 

**4.**

Haruka thinks about Rin sometimes. He remembers how the colours and shadows danced across his face, illuminating his red hair and his equally red eyes. The light catching on his razor sharp teeth, but softening his intimidating demeanor.

 

Pulling himself through the water, feeling it all rush past him, usually calmed him down. But something about Rin put his heart on edge and made his blood pump and no matter how many laps he did, it wouldn’t stop. Haruka broke free of the water’s embrace, coming up to the top to take a well needed breath. He tore his swimming cap and goggles off, ignoring the concerned looks of the others, and climbed out the pool.

 

He couldn’t swim like this, not while he was so distracted and yet more motivated to swim than ever.

 

**5.**

They both didn’t see each other until the winter. Another term of school was over, and a well earned Christmas holiday was in need.

 

They brushed past each other as they stepped onto the train. Rin wasn’t entirely sure why Haruka was at the same stop as him, but he wasn’t in the position to question it. They were heading in the same direction anyway.

 

Haruka took his usual seat, and Rin took his. They didn’t look at each other for a while, too busy trying to make it look like they were interested in other things. But as their eyes wandered, they finally found each other.

 

Rin felt his heart speed up, the slow dugeun dugeun dugeun filled his ears and made his fingertips tingle slightly.

 

“Long time no see, Nanase.”

 

Haruka’s lips pulled down into a small frown again, yet his eye contact didn’t waver.

 

The train jolted, and yet their eyes were still fixated on each other.

 

“Do you swim?” Haruka asked after a few moments of silence.

“Everyday.” Rin replied, before breaking out into a wide grin. “My dream- no, my goal, is to become an Olympic swimmer. One day, Nanase, you’ll see me on TV winning medals for Japan.”

Haruka pushes back the urge to scoff. But he doesn’t say anything in return.

 

“What about you, do you swim?”

Haruka hesitates for a second, before answering. “I swim freestyle.”

Rin laughs, voice loud and delighted. “I swim butterfly! Free is pretty cool though, but I’m not that good at it yet.”

He rubs the back of his neck after his confession, a light dusting of pink colouring his cheeks.

 

Haruka nods, and the conversation ending there. There’s so much Rin wants to say and ask. How long as Haruka been swimming? Why does he swim? How good is he? Is he on a team? Does he want to swim professionally? How does he feel about him? Does he -

 

The train comes to a slow stop; wheels screeching and the voice over declaring the station’s name.

 

This is Rin’s stop. This is where he’s meant to collect his bags, stand up and leave the train. He’s not meant to hesitate, to tighten his grip on his bag strap and stand in front of Haruka, staring down at him.

 

Blue eyes meet his red ones, and he doesn’t even try and stop himself this time.

 

“I want to know more about you. Give me your number.”

 

Haruka doesn’t delay and holds out his hand to receive Rin’s phone, punching in his phone number before handing it back.

 

Rin shoves the phone in his pocket, running to the train doors before they slide close.

 

“Bye, Nanase!” he yells, grinning over his shoulder before taking a step onto the platform.

 

He thinks he hears Haruka reply, “Bye, Rin.” but he can’t be too sure. He stands facing the train, watching Haruka whizz past him in a bundle of steam and noise.

 

Rin smiles, satisfied, before pulling out his phone.

 

He stares down at Haruka’s name in his contacts, the Kanji delicate and just as beautiful as he is.

There’s a gust of wind that blows past, cutting right through his clothes and chilling him straight to the bone. It makes his skin break out into goose bumps, but it doesn’t stop him sending a text message to Haruka.

 

**To: Haruka Nanase**

 

_hey, nanase, do you only swim free?_

 

**To: Matsuoka Rin**

 

_yes._

 

 


End file.
